Travel with Children

Çocuklar (children) are the beloved centrepiece of family life in Turkey, and your children will be welcomed wherever they go. Your journey will be peppered with exclamations of Maşallah (glory be to God) and your children will be clutched into the adoring arms of strangers.

Best Regions for Kids

İstanbul

Ice cream by the Bosphorus, ferry rides, exploring the Grand Bazaar.

Ephesus, Bodrum & the South Aegean

Ruins such as Ephesus for older children, plus beaches for kids of all ages. Holiday spots like Kuşadası, Bodrum, Marmaris and Akyaka offer plenty of sights, facilities, resorts, water parks and sports, with less touristy coastline nearby.

Antalya & the Turquoise Coast

Water sports and activities from tandem paragliding to sea kayaking over submerged ruins. With younger children, holiday towns like Kaş offer picturesque lanes and sandy beaches.

Cappadocia

The fantastical landscape of fairy chimneys (rock formations) and underground cities will thrill older children, as will cave accommodation. A safe, relaxing rural area with activities including horse riding, hot-air ballooning and walking.

İzmir & the North Aegean

More Aegean beaches. İzmir's kordon (seafront) is a child-friendly promenade – plenty of space in which to expend energy and take horse-and-carriage rides.

Turkey for Kids

Travelling in family-focused Turkey is a blessing with kids big and small – waiters play with babies, strangers entertain and indulge at every turn, and free or discounted entry to sights is common. Do bear in mind, however, that facilities are often lacking and safety consciousness rarely meets Western norms.

Treats

Sweet treats Turkey does these as well as it does kebaps – including baklava, dondurma (ice cream) and lokum (Turkish delight).

Planning

Accommodation

Many hotels in all price ranges have family suites.

Self-catering apartments and villas are common in tourist areas such as Bodrum.

Cots are increasingly common; many hotels will organise one with advance notice.

Resorts offer kids' clubs, and hotels in tourist areas may be able to arrange babysitting.

Eating

Children's menus are uncommon outside tourist areas, but restaurants will often prepare special dishes for children.

High chairs are by no means common, but can sometimes be found in tourist areas (apart from İstanbul).

Facilities

Public baby-changing facilities are rare, but found in some chain restaurants.

Breastfeeding in public is uncommon; best to do so in a private or discreet place.

Seaside towns and cities often have playgrounds, but check the equipment for safety.

Getting Around

Buses often lack functioning toilets, but they normally stop every few hours.

Free travel for children under six on public transport within cities, and discounts on longer journeys, are common.

Most car-rental companies can provide baby seats for a small extra charge.

Dangerous drivers and uneven surfaces make using strollers an extreme sport.

A 'baby backpack' is useful for walking around sights.

Health

In hot, moist climates, any wound or break in the skin may lead to infection. The area should be cleaned and then kept dry and clean.

Encourage your child to avoid dogs and other mammals because of the risk of rabies and other diseases.

For children and pregnant or breastfeeding women, double-check drugs and dosages prescribed for travel by doctors and pharmacists, as they may be unsuitable. The same applies to practitioners in Turkey.

Some information on the suitability of drugs and recommended dosage can be found on travel-health websites.

Products

Double-check the suitability of prescriptions your children are given while in Turkey.

Pasteurised UHT milk is sold in cartons everywhere, but fresh milk is harder to find.

Consider bringing a supply of baby food – what little you find here, your baby will likely find inedible – or it will just be mashed banana.

Migros supermarkets have the best range of baby food.

Most supermarkets stock formula (although it is very expensive) and vitamin-fortified rice cereal.

Disposable bebek bezi (nappies or diapers) are readily available.

The best nappies are Prima and Huggies, sold in pharmacies and supermarkets; don't bother with cheaper local brands.

Resources

Lonely Planet's Travel with Children has practical information and advice.

Safety

In hotels and other buildings, look out for open power points.

Many taps are unmarked and reversed (cold on the left, hot on the right).

Baby Talk

Perhaps learn your child's age and sex in Turkish – ay (month), yil (year), erkek (boy) and kız (girl). To make polite inquiries about other people's children: Kaç tane çocuklariniz varmı? (How many children do you have?).

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